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    Shay's Restaurant

    3.7 (123 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Shay's Restaurant Photos

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    SHAY'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Prime Rib Friday Special and Chicken Fried Steak (11/11/22)
    Marie B.

    In the past few days, I've had a hankering for indie old school diner type spots. I have recently stopped at 65th Street Cafe & Restaurant in Seattle and Shari's in Shoreline. Third stop was yesterday's dinner with The Homie at Shay's Restaurant and Lounge (11/11/22). Again, despite being a Shoreline resident since March 2002, this was my first visit. It has been around since 1983 and under current ownership since 1992. Longevity and flying under the radar as a mainstay along Hwy 99/Aurora. Crowded private parking lot out front shared with a Korean grill spot and hair salon, but I was able to find a spot by the main entrance. Upon entering, we chose a corner two top. There were various table configurations and counter seating in the main dining room. There's also an adjacent bar/lounge. A good sign was that there were regulars enjoying their meals and each other's lively company. We were warmly greeted, handed menus, flatware, napkins, ice water, and told of the evening's soup: clam chowder but there's also some chili available. Yes, the interior is dated, popcorn ceiling, but with homey, humorous decor. Thankfully, the initial odd scent dissipated. I had a ravenous appetite since my last meal was nine hours ago. There was a nice variety available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert...just about everything looked appealing. Also, there's a senior menu for 55-plus for additional savings. Breakfast served anytime, but switch over from lunch to dinner happens at 4pm. Again, my phone was having issues so I was not able to take current photos of the interior and menu pages. The lone entree photo taken was provided by The Homie. We both started with cups of clam chowder with saltines. Clam chowder was hearty, creamy, and full of flavor. The Homie ordered the Chicken Fried Steak topped with sausage gravy, mashed potatoes, and daily veggie side. In addition, a chocolate shake that came with the metal container it was hand mixed in. I opted for the Friday Prime Rib special ($27.95, 8 ounces, medium rare with horseradish and au jus) with a baked potato (w/bacon, green onions and butter) and daily veggie side. Prime Rib is also available at 10 oz and 16 oz, but at market price. This is was reminiscent of Wedgwood Broiler's (another OG in Seattle) prime rib, but Shay's version was much more flavorful. I was a happy camper with the tasty daily veggies - I ate and poached all the broccoli and yellow zucchini. I left behind the onions and cauliflower though. Traded protein bites, but gave a sizable portion of prime rib to The Homie to feast on. I really enjoyed how delicious and tender the prime rib was. Both the prime rib and au jus was on point and not overly salty. Food provided was very generous. I had to box up my entire baked potato and fixings. The Homie had to box up some of his chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. A truly satisfying meal, great service, and yet again my bad for not detouring much sooner. Face palm, over 20.5 years later! Shoreline has a handful of indie gems, but definitely enjoyed the OG Shay's Restaurant and Lounge. I look forward to future visits to check out additional menu items.

    This is our great Dennis and JP

    The food is great, old school diner. Karaoke Is fun with lots of drink options Come on in and give it a try Thursdays and Saturdays 8pm to Midnight

    If you like the way the world is headed, don't come here. Things at Shay's are the way "it used to be." It still has a choice of sitting in the classic American diner setting, or sneaking into the lounge. Regardless, the waitress will call you 'sweetie' and gladly serve you a stiff coffee, or something stronger if you're of that persuasion. Shay's is a genuine "local" watering hole. Whether you sit out at the counter or back in the bar, if you strike up a conversation you're likely to meet your local blue collar worker or their spouse. Painters, sailors, machinists, fishermen and truck drivers are fixtures here. Don't be surprised in the mornings when they all argue over how much the showcase is worth on the Price Is Right. If you're lucky, you'll run into the 'Mayor of Shoreline' or Greg, the charismatic chef who's been working here for more than 40 years. If you're REALLY lucky he'll even tell you how he lost his hand... but that's not likely. You only live once, so have the biscuits and gravy, or a world famous mashed potato omelette. Their BLT is better than most and the turkey bacon croissant comes with thick pieces of white meat, not any damned sissy sliced deli meat. You'll tip well because they treat you well... and you'll be remembered next time. See you there.

    Prime rib dinner
    Ashley R.

    This is a true dive but has been here for decades! I have some since I was in diapers. 3rd generation. Great staff that have been here since I was young. I like their food. I have gotten hash browns which are great and even their prime rib dinner on Fridays. (see picture). Parking can be tricky but for those who don't know, there is a gravel lot on the hill behind shays with stairs into the restaurant. As for drinks, They come stiff and affordable. The regulars are also friendly. Typically an older crowd comes here but I think it's great for all ages.

    Prime rib and mixed veggies. Delish!
    Josie G.

    Been going here for a few years since the closing due to C-19'(2020). Prime rib Friday is back!!! Yay! Stop by and give it a try. See you next Friday!

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    10 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Page 4 of 4

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    Date Cafe

    Date Cafe

    3.9
    (63 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I've been eyeing this restaurant for a while since it opened, and I finally got to try it!…read more I had the house special pho and a drink. The pho was authentic, the rice noodles were soft with a nice chewiness. There was lots of meat in the pho. The sliced beef was tender, and the beef tendon was perfectly cooked, not too chewy and not too slimy. The broth was authentic too and with freshly squeezed lime juice. To sum up, it was a light yet hearty meal. The drink was great too. You could taste both green grape and jasmine tea, it was a very refreshing combination for the summer. My partner had the tofu fried rice. He lived in HCMC for a few years and said the dish was authentic.

    Got two banh mi and order of spring rolls from this spot. Solid bread but the rest wasn't as great…read more VERY mayo heavy. When you open the sandwich, there is ZERO tofu visible and you have to dig thru the veg and mayo to find the tiniest amount of tofu (prob two fried tofu cut into tiny strips). This is probably the saddest tofu banhmi I've seen. It's extremely odd because the grilled pork banh mi had a good amount of pork in it... however cautioning that there is pate in the pork banh mi which is not clear on their menu. If you don't like pate, you might be caught off guard. Spring roll was decent. Not too much to say there. The peanut hoisin sauce tasted different and almost tasted like there was caramel drizzled in it. Not really what we expected.

    Photos
    More flower arrangements (8/11/25)
    More flower arrangements (8/11/25)
    Sizzling Beef with fried egg, sausage, pate, vegies, crinkle fries & warm baguette (8/14/25)
    Sizzling Beef with fried egg, sausage, pate, vegies, crinkle fries & warm baguette (8/14/25)
    Screenshot from their IG (7/2/26)

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    Screenshot from their IG (7/2/26)
    Aroy Mak Thai Food

    Aroy Mak Thai Food

    4.9
    (379 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Great experience at this restaurant. Different flavors than typical Thai. It seems to be all…read morechicken or vegetarian. No one mentions that the price is low for what you get. We are always surprised by that!

    We had gotten takeout here a few times prior to visiting the restaurant. The takeout was very good…read morebut we were very impressed with the service during out visit. It was a busy night and we brought our 1 year old son with us. We placed our orders while waiting in line outside (this is their standard process it seems), so if you are looking for a slow relaxed meal this might not be it - but the wait is worth it. When we were seated they had a full set of children's dinnerware (tray, toddler utensils, bowl) which was very impressive. The servers were all so friendly with our son which was delightful. The changing station in the bathroom was also very nice, with a soft cover, and they even provide wipes and other consumables you might need. The bathroom was very clean as well. Oh and the food is absolutely delicious! The dipping sauces for the chicken were all so good, and the texture of the chicken was perfect, moist and tender steamed chicken. The grilled chicken was also very juicy. We also loved the thai lime tea, a variant of thai milk tea which balances the sweetness with tangy/bitter lime. Very refreshing! We will definitely be ordering takeout/visiting the restaurant again!

    Photos
    Other condiments (9/15/24)
    Other condiments (9/15/24)
    Nearby colorful teapots (8/6/25)
    Nearby colorful teapots (8/6/25)
    A portion of the monthly special, Fresh Lime Tom Yum Noodles (1/22/25)

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    A portion of the monthly special, Fresh Lime Tom Yum Noodles (1/22/25)
    Jersey's Great Food & Spirits

    Jersey's Great Food & Spirits

    4.0
    (256 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Previous visit to Jersey's was over a decade ago, when they were still located by Shoreline City…read moreHall on 175th. Fast forward to 7/6/25, The Homie and I decided to check out Jersey's on 152nd to wrap up the Fourth of July holiday weekend with their happy hour. There's ample adjacent parking, plus plentiful seating in both the bar and restaurant sections. There were well placed flat screens, which on this visit had the F1 race televised from Las Vegas and the US - Mexico Concacaf match televised from Houston. Lots of signed sports memorabilia posted on the walls. Our waitperson was friendly and attentive and provided us with both the Happy Hour (3-6pm) and extensive regular menus. I'd call this elevated sports bar cuisine. There's even breakfast/brunch items available on weekends. We both had refreshing iced beverages, an iced tea and a Pepsi, which were refilled during out meal onsite ($3.50 each). We ordered from the HH menu: Crispy JoJo Skins ($9), Hog Wings with coleslaw ($13), and Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with fries ($10). I appreciated the nice presentation of each of the HH menu items. The JoJo potato skins were loaded with melted cheese, green onions, and bacon bits plus a nice garlic lime sour cream sauce. The Hog Wings selected were succulent pork shanks tossed in kalbi sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and served with coleslaw. The Buttermilk Chicken Tenders were moist and not over coated and served with on point house fries. Yet again, another Shoreline gem flying under the radar screen. Jersey's Great Food and Spirits has great service and a wide variety of menu items to savor. Next visit will be much sooner and not a ten year hiatus!

    My boyfriend and I have been coming to Jersey's for years and Every time has been Excellent. We…read morewent there last night for the World cup match that USA played and even though they were very busy, with only 2 servers on, they were Awesome! We've had all the servers there and they've all been Exceptional. Now, the food is Incredible, I even ordered from them for Super Bowl this year and it was bomb. Special shot out to our waiter last night, young guy, tall, didn't catch his name but,great service.

    Photos
    View towards bar from dining room booth (7/6/25)
    View towards bar from dining room booth (7/6/25)
    Side of French Fries
    Side of French Fries
    Ice Tea & Pepsi (7/6/25)

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    Ice Tea & Pepsi (7/6/25)
    Happy Tea

    Happy Tea

    4.3
    (31 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Happy Tea has been in business for about 1.5 years, but I decided to finally detour on 9/3/23…read more Observations: Located by Metro bus stops. Tight front parking lot, more slots available in the back. Open until 8pm and proximate to several other food establishments & cafe. Limited onsite seating, not much vibe or ambiance - see attached photos. There's food and bevs, with discounted banh mis on Thursdays - see attached menu photos. The Homie chose to not order anything, in retrospect, he was smart. I had an iced pineapple jasmine tea. It was refreshing at the time, but I was dismayed in the end glancing at the requested receipt, this purchase had a bag fee, tax, and tip was $9. Note: I didn't add boba, didn't request or receive a bag, nor did I grab a straw or napkin. Plus a dismal amount of pineapple observed at the end. Pricey fruit tea water. Could of had a spot on milk tea or 20oz iced mocha elsewhere for less. Glad others felt this was worthy of 4 and 5 stars, but not for me. I waited this long, tried one item and it left me rather disappointed overall, 2.5 stars rounded to a 3 and that's being generous. Will I return? Will I be lured by discounted banh mis? Highly unlikely since there are other cafes, drive throughs, and late night spots in the North Seattle/Shoreline/Edmonds vicinity.

    I got the milk tea boba tea and it was okay. The boba has no flavor or texture. The milk tea was…read moreokay on the other hand.

    Photos
    The interior of the restaurant.
    The interior of the restaurant.
    Grilled pork banh mi
    Grilled pork banh mi
    Entrance (9/3/23)

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    Entrance (9/3/23)

    Shay's Restaurant - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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